Greatest soccer coach of all time?

[Point forward]

Beckenbauer could've been something special. 1 World Cup, 1 UEFA Cup and 1 Bundesliga title. not bad for a few years of work.

As a German guy, I can testify that Franz "The Kaiser" Beckenbauer is too big to be a measly soccer coach. Being president of Bayern Munich and president of the OC of the 2006 World Cup, now *that* is something in his range. How would have been a great coach, though.

[Nuzzo]

Two pages and only ElTurco mentioned Rinus Michels...
Other greats that are missed here - Guttman(the great hungarian), Zagallo, Menotti, Bilardo, Bianchi, Milutinovic, Chapman, Sch

[Ong_dynasty]

When you look at trophies and statistics it has got to be Ferguson, Lippi and Capello.

The Arsenal fan in me can not say anything except Arsene.
His trophies are far from amazing. But he has done considering how football has become a money sport is amazing.

He has consistently been challenging for the premier league for over 10 years while making a profit with his transfers throught those years.

He is the main reason why Arsenal have a World Class training facility and Stadium.

The players who he has nurtured is quite amazing.

And the brand of football. wow.

I am just amazed how he can continually compete with spending sometimes less than newly promoted clubs.

Don't get me wrong when Thierry Henry left, it was disheartening but I do not know what Arsenal will do without Arsene.

Maybe its just me, but the likes of any other team can be replace by any other manager (I also do believe that Ferguson can be replaced by a top manager), but name me a manager that can do what Arsene did in a shoestring budget?

[BlackMamba]

well, i could give you all of those accomplishments, but in the end getting the trophy is what most counts.

when you get to the point of winning championships it means that have done a lot of things right and that you have managed to be over the edge of the rest of the coaches/teams.

[David_edlp]

youd said pretty good names but nothing of them compares to Carlos Bilardo.
my listo..
Michel
Bilando
Mennotti
Ferguson
zubeldia

you the english and de north americans don't know nothing about FUTBOL.!

[Ong_dynasty]

well, i could give you all of those accomplishments, but in the end getting the trophy is what most counts.

when you get to the point of winning championships it means that have done a lot of things right and that you have managed to be over the edge of the rest of the coaches/teams.

See that is the problem, you are just looking at it in a Statistics point of view...
At the end of the day as much as I am an Arsenal fan and dont really like Manu, I respect what Ferguson has done and will never criticise him..

Fair enough Ferguson did a similar accomplishment in the 90's..but people forget he almost got fired when he started as in the first few year he has did not win anything... Then the golden era came and (luckily enough) the Money started pumping in and he started having an advantage when it comes to money (which he deserved to the sucess *cough* unlike chelsea *cough).

But I personally believe the gulf in money nowadays makes it so much harder to build a team on a shoe string budget..

A question to anybody who knows football..
Who is the hardest manager to replace in their current club? I still say Wenger. I always say any respectable manager can lead a top team when you have top resources...
But to compete regularly with a budget similar to a team that is fighting for a relegation battle..that is not bad...

[fc_dinamo]

Hard to say.

Some very influential coaches, such as Arsene Wenger and Alex Ferguson (who I consider the top 2 coaches in the world at the moment) have not won as much as others.

Is a popular coach that influences/inspires players less of a coach bcz he hasn't won as much? Winning is subjective to many variables that are out of a coach's control - luck, management's dedication towards spending - but team preparation and the players' mentality is only subjective to the coach.

Sure Jose Mourinho is a popular coach. But when it gets down to the nitty gritty does he have what it takes? It's easy to be popular when you're winning many trophies but based on how Mourinho treated Adrian Mutu, I'd say he isn't a very good coach. I don't think Sir Alex or Wenger would have approached the situation that way.

So again...hard to say. What about Scolari? What if Chelsea win 4 titles this year? Along with his WC and taking Portugal as far as they've ever - or will probably ever - go? Shows a big time track record.

[damo[23]]

For me its SAF.

Typically with "great coaches" they build 1 great team and in that span win as much as they can, a few league titles, the odd champs league and so on, then key players leave / retire / lose their dominance and that team disapates, and often the coach moves on.

Fergie has not only built multiple teams, but with each managed to achieve great levels of success, and always keeping his team as challengers and threats.

[Alex_De_Large]

1-Helenio Herrera
2-Rinus Michels
3-Jose Mourinho

Right now, Mourinho (obviously) and Fabio Capello (still).



SAF can't be the best, but he can be the most over rated one here.
I mean, he can't win CL until he has the BEST team on Europe (1999) and won all those premier league titles because there was no competition until Arsenal good team started in 97,
wtf, Jose Mourinho won CL with a bad team Porto, only 2 world class players (Deco-Carvalho). Jose Mourinho first 2 years @ England = 2 EPL's, Alex Ferguson first 6 years @ United = crap.

[Slava]

^^Well, number of times Sir. Alex got fired: 0. You know the rest.

[damo[23]]

SAF can't be the best, but he can be the most over rated one here.

Ok, so titles, medals and years of dominance count for nothing. Righto.

I mean, he can't win CL until he has the BEST team on Europe (1999)

A team that he assembled and managed.

and won all those premier league titles because there was no competition until Arsenal good team started in 97,

You make it sound like Utd havent won the EPL since 97 and he clocked up all his wins up till then.

Man Utd had won between the formation of the EPL in 92 and Arsenals 97 win 4 of the 5 EPL titles. Arsenal came onto the scene then and gave utd competition, so much competition that SAF led a new team to 3 straight EPL titles, so much for dominance to end, that was now 7 EPL titles in 9 years, and 3 of which during this 97 to 2001 supposed arsenal good phase

Man Utd did dip then, a loss of players and talent, Utd only managed 1 title in 5 years, Arsenal and Chelsea splitting the honors 2 a piece, since then SAF has built another team and won 2 back to back titles. So since 97 he has won 6 of 11 titles.

wtf, Jose Mourinho won CL with a bad team Porto, only 2 world class players (Deco-Carvalho). Jose Mourinho first 2 years @ England = 2 EPL's, Alex Ferguson first 6 years @ United = crap.

Yes and Jose's first two years in the Prem was also taking over a already very good Chelsea team with a owner pumping millions upon millions into his team. In the 80's SAF did not have those kind of resources to pull into that squad.

And actually it was only first 4 years, in his 5th and 6th years Fergie won the FA Cup, Cup Winners Cup and Supercup. And prior to his first 4 years at Utd he had won 4 scottish league titles, 4 scottish FA cups and a cup winners cup, he had already started his winning ways. This is actually one of the most overlooked achievements of his career, he ended the dominance of celtic and rangers in that era, and also beat an excellent Real Madrid team, from a nothing team like Aberdeen thats a huge feat. Much like SAF isnt condemned for the down years between 2004 and 2006, he isnt condemned for his 1st 4 years at Utd. He went on to prove his class, repeatedly.

When Jose comes to the latter stages of his career, he'll certainly be up there. Right now, he had good years between 2002/3 and 2006.

[El Turco]

good lord, people easily get excited over flashy managers with good looks. whoever puts Mourinho in top 3 all time is either havent been watching the game very long or have a huge man-crush on the special one. he may very well be up there by the time he is finished but right now he wouldnt even sniff top 10.

SAF is definitely up there, probably the only reason i would put him behind Rinus and Herrera is because he didnt influence the game as much as those two tactical wise.

[Slava]

I would easily rate Sir. Alex and Wenger for the brand of football that they have endorsed in England and they also need to be credited with bringing some of the best talent to the premiership like Cantona, Henry, Bergkamp, Van Nistelrooy and now Fabregas and Ronaldo.